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¹ They slowed to a walk as they got close to Jerusalem. Jesus sent two of his cowboys ahead to a little cow camp and ² told them, "When you get there, you will find an unbroke colt tied to the fence. ³ If anyone questions you, just tell them the Lord needs it and will return it shortly."

⁴ They found the colt and sure enough, ⁵ some people started asking them where they were taking it. ⁶ The cowboys told them Jesus needed it and the people said nothing more and let them pass. ⁷ They brought the colt to Jesus and they threw their coats on its back as saddle blankets and then Jesus hopped up there. ⁸ Then Jesus started his ride into Jerusalem and people honored him by throwing their own coats on the ground so that even the colt's feet that carried him wouldn't touch the dirt. Some people even cut branches off of nearby trees and laid them down in the road for Jesus's mount to walk on.

⁹ This was quite a sight to see and people in front of Jesus and behind him were shouting, "The Lord will save us! Here's to the One who rides in the name of the Lord! ¹⁰ Here's to the coming of the outfit that our father David talked so much about. Here! Here!"

¹¹ Jesus rode straight to the main church in town to talk to his Daddy in heaven. After he was done, he went out to the little town of Bethany with his twelve cowboys.

Jesus Chews Out the Fig Tree

¹² The next morning they got up and rode out of Bethany. Jesus was hungry and ¹³ he saw a fig tree a little way off the trail. The tree was bright and full of life and leaves, but there were no figs, despite that it was a little early in the season. Jesus rode off from the tree and ¹⁴ said loud enough for his cowboys to hear, "May you never make fruit again."

The Robber's Roost

¹⁵ When they got to Jerusalem, they went straight to the main church area of town. Jesus jumped off his horse and started throwing the tables of those people who were selling animals for sacrifices across the courtyard. He made quite an impression in the way he handled the money changer's booths. ¹⁶ It had become more of a carnival than a place to worship God.

¹⁷ He jumped up on a stone and shouted for all to hear, "Everyone listen! Didn't God's writings say, 'My house will be called a house of prayer for the whole world?' But you all here have turned it into a circus and a robber's roost!"

¹⁸ When Jesus finished speaking the truth, some religious experts and bigwig preachers immediately started trying to figure out how they could kill this cowboy.

¹⁹ Jesus and his cowboys spent all day in town. They left as the sun started to set and they loped off into the darkness.

The Fig Tree Is Dead

²⁰ The next morning, they took the same route as the day before. They passed by that fig tree and many of them noticed it was dead. ²¹ Pete said, "Look Boss, the fig tree you cursed is dead."

²² Jesus didn't so much as turn his head as he said, "Have faith in God. ²³ This here's the truth, if someone tells a mountain to go jump in the sea, and he does not doubt that God can do it, but believes in the power of God wholeheartedly, then it will happen. ²⁴ This is why I keep telling y'all that when you pray, believe in your hearts that God hears you and has already done what you asked. ²⁵ But don't let anything get in the way of your prayers. If you are holding a grudge or have not done something that someone else asked you for, then go do that so your Boss in heaven will do the same for you."

Jesus Is Accosted

²⁷ They rode into Jerusalem again and headed straight for the main church area. While Jesus was walking amongst the people, some of the bigwigs who ran the place came up to him and asked him, ²⁸ "So just who do you think you are, hotshot? Who gave you the right to come in here like you own this joint?"

²⁹ Jesus turned to them nonchalantly and said, "I'll answer you if you answer me. ³⁰ Did John's authority to baptize come from heaven or did he just make it up on his own? Answer that."

³¹ The huddled together like squabblin' birds at a bird bath. "If we say it was from heaven, he'll ask us why didn't we believe in what John was doing. ³² But if we say it was just his own idea, all these people will get mad because they believe John was a true cowboy of God."

³³ Finally, they turned back to Jesus and said, "We don't know."

Jesus shook his head and then said, "If you don't even know who John was, then I ain't going to tell you who I am or where my authority comes from."